Between-the-lines Reading

YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE FIELD
By Herm Edwards with Shelley Smith
The McGraw-Hill Companies, 190 pages, $21.95

GIST: The former Eagles cornerback (1977-85) and current Jets coach shares winning secrets.

SAMPLE: "I can teach you to tackle. I can teach you to run. But I can't teach you how hard to tackle or how fast to move your legs. I can read a book about love and relationships, but the book isn't going to be the one making the effort to do things better at home. It has to be inside of you."

SUNDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: GOING DEEP ON THE STRATEGIES, MYTHS, AND MAYHEM OF FOOTBALL
By Phil Simms with Vic Carucci
HarperCollins Publishers, 211 pages, $24.95

GIST: The former Giants QB (1979-93) analyzes what really goes on between the sidelines and in strategy sessions.

SAMPLE: "[A]s you're watching film, the coach says, 'That's the way to hang in there and see down the field.' You'd like to tell him the truth: 'Coach, I really didn't see much. All I think I saw was the top of my receiver's helmet. I knew I was about to get hit, so I thought, What the hell? And I just threw it. And when he caught it, I was the most relieved person in the stadium.' ... What I would end up saying is, 'Thanks, coach.'"

DANTE HALL: X-FACTOR
By Dante Hall with Bill Althaus
Sports Publishing LLC, 176 pages, $24.95

GIST: Autobiography of the undersized kid from Houston who has become the Chiefs' (and the NFL's) most explosive kick returner.

SAMPLE: "I finished that game [a Jan. 11, 2003, loss to Indianapolis] with 208 kickoff return yards. That's a Chiefs single-game postseason record and the third highest total in NFL history. So can someone please tell me why I feel so bad? I still feel like crying. We made the plays, but we didn't make enough plays. I was lucky to get a touchdown reception, too. We scored 31 points. They scored 38. That's the story of the game. I was hoping to be an impact player, and I was. We made the big plays, they just made more than we did."

GOLDEN BOY: GIRLS, GAMES, AND GAMBLING AT GREEN BAY (AND NOTRE DAME, TOO)
By Paul Hornung as told to William F. Reed
Simon & Schuster, 291 pages, $25